I think you should make your own rules.
What kind of restaurant did you want to create after you moved to this store in 2013?
Takasu:My previous store was very small, and I wanted to express what I wanted to do in a bigger place. When I was looking for a place to set up shop, I was introduced to this place by an acquaintance, but I thought it was too big and unmanageable. However, I took my time and developed my ideas, and in the process, I was able to get a sense of the direction I wanted to take.
So, you have created a store that sells not only clothes, but also sundries, flowers, and a café as well.
Takasu:There are stores like this overseas as well, such as Corso Como in Europe and Merci in Paris. In the U.S., there were such composite type stores, and I wanted to create something like that. I didn't just want to sell clothes, I wanted to have a nice life with flowers and delicious, attractive-looking food. I thought it would be nice to have a store in Hayama that offered these things. That's all.
. You yourself stand in the store and serve customers, don't you?
Takasu:I try to be on my feet as much as possible on weekends. There are many customers who have been with us for a long time. There are many things I can learn from standing in the store, and it also gives me a chance to talk with the staff.
Do you feel like you are communicating with the customers rather than serving them?
Takasu:I think so. When I talked to him, I found out that he was working in the advertising industry. I like that kind of thing.
The clothes in your store also have a very rustic feel.
Takasu:. I just make what I think is good.
I feel that the work is good, but in a good sense, it has a rough atmosphere.
Takasu:I don't like the word obsession. In fact, if you look up the word, obsession doesn't mean much. It means to be obsessive, to cling to something. Rather, in my case, I want to be more free. For example, when I go to the beach, I want to wear clothes that I can sit on the beach in. . I don't want to get dirty because I wore nice clothes today.
This freedom is evident in your clothes and in your store.
Takasu:Freedom is very important to me. Even in terms of ideas.
Do you think such a sense is fostered by being so close to the sea?
Takasu:I don't know . I have always been a very flexible person (laughs).
It may be a misnomer to say that there are no rules, but they are not bound by common sense.
Takasu:. I think it is better to make your own rules. Of course, there are social and various other ties, but it is better to cherish one's own self-identity within oneself. The core of "I think this way" is very important, not "because someone else said this.
Clothes are the same, whether they are men's or women's, it doesn't matter. It is okay for men to wear women's clothing because they think it is cool. . without stereotypes and preconceptions.
I can't help but feel the influence of the U.S. in your way of thinking.
Takasu:Ever since I was a little girl, my father told me, "You are not Japanese. . He seemed to be saying that after seeing me act in various ways. So maybe I am constitutionally free.
Do you like the atmosphere of the West Coast?
Takasu:I like Southern California and Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii . On the Big Island of Hawaii, I have a very good friend there, and the time I spend with him is truly wonderful. He is a generation older than me, but he is a legend in his own right. We would talk about work, go in the ocean, surf together, and have a few drinks.
